Imagine you are ready to hit a volley; where do you hit it? You have a lot of options on placement when you are striking a volley (or any other shot). These include hitting the volley:

1. Down the middle;

2. Right at either of your opponents for a body shot;

3. At either of your opponent’s weak side, which is generally their backhand sides (to note, the safer weak side would be a weak side toward the middle of the court, rather than a weak down toward a sideline, as this could lead to unnecessary unforced errors); and

4. At either of your opponent’s feet (especially on their respective weak sides, especially any weak side toward the middle of the court).

These placements are all good options, but each are really dependent on where you are, where your partner is, where your opponents are, and where the pickleball is on the pickleball court. You are solely in charge of your assessment of these factors and your shot selection. Make sure that you do not become predictable. Mix-up your shot selection!

No matter the situation, what will really hurt you is if you make unforced errors by hitting the pickleball out of bounds—in other words, by “going for” too much and aiming for the baselines and sidelines of the pickleball court. To reduce your unforced errors, shrink the pickleball court in your mind by three feet on each side and on the baseline, and play within the “smaller” pickleball court.

Key Takeaways:

1. Consider targeting your volleys:

a. Down the middle;

b. Right at your opponents for a body shot;

c. At your opponents’ weak sides (typically, backhand sides); and

d. At your opponents’ feet.

2. Play within a smaller court to reduce your unforced errors.